Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Kyoshi Warriors #1 (Dark Horse Comics)
Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing the FIRST issue of Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Kyoshi Warriors #1
Dark Horse is kicking off a new 3 issue mini-series for Avatar: The Last Airbender! This series is going to be focusing on The Kyoshi Warriors and is sure to be a real page turner! I’ve got high expectations for this series, so will it live up to it? Let’s jump into it!
Credit: Dark Horse Comis // Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Kyoshi Warriors #1 by Brandon Hoang (Writer), Bellbessa (Art), Adele Matera (Colors), Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt & Tyler Smith (Letters), Dani Weires (Cover)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The Story
Brandon Hoang does an incredible job capturing the feeling of the animated series in a way that feels so incredibly natural that you’d swear it was an episode that didn’t make it to air. Fans of the show will get an immediate sense of familiarity on multiple fronts with this issue and it only increases the enjoyability of the issue.
The series is going to be set sometime during season 1 & pre-season 2. We see the Kyoshi Warriors have left their island home after their encounter with Aang, Katara & Sokka while fighting Zuko and his Fire Nation force. They’re leaving the safety and comfort of their home to join the rest of the world in their battle against the Fire Nation. To my knowledge it’s a story that has not be explored as of yet. Admittedly I haven’t read every comic & novel, so I could be wrong and if I am please feel free to correct me.
The issue captures the familiar feeling from season 1 so incredibly that it hits like a wave of nostalgia from the early days of watching the series on Nickelodeon. You get to experience the sense of innocence that permeates through season 1 all the while there is a sense of foreboding lurking in the background since we know what it ultimately going to come.
If you’re a fan of the series, you’re going to love this story. It’s from a time in the story I’m sure many fans have speculated on and imagined what happened and tells it in such a way that is full of familiarity. Brandon is setting up for an incredibly memorable series that fans will love.
The Artwork
Bellbessa & Adele Matera both do an immaculate job with the artwork for this issue that captures the look of the animated series in a way that fans will instantly recognize. The artwork is seriously stunning, and looks like an exact replica of how the characters look from the animated series. The new locations and characters we meet in this story also have a similar look & feel to them so that it does not feel out of place or awkward. The artwork in this issue is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time!
Overall Grade: 9/10
If you’re a fan of the animated series then you are going to want to pick up this issue ASAP! A story that feels like it was taken right out of the animated series, together with artwork that feels like it was drawn by the creators themselves make this an issue that should be at the top of your reading list.
